The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-06-23
COMMITTED!
The COrOner's Verdict I'm TIE
Beall Tragedy!

Coroner d. C. C. Jones closed his in
quest on the Beall murder Thursday
afternoon last, and Friday morning rem
dered the following verdict:
81 do find the deceased, Mrs. Nancy c.
Beall, came to her death by two pistol-shot
wounds through the brain, one shot entering
the temporal bone on the left side, just back
of the left eye, and making its exit on the OPP
posite side; the other shot being ar inch or
an inch and a half back of the one de-
scribed, and making its exit at the outer an
gle of the orbit on the right side. Also, two
ak wounds on the back of the neck, between
the head and shoulders, completely severing
the spinal column, either of said wounds be-
ing sufficient to cause death. / further find
that while it seems almost impossible to con-
ceive that one so young, and especially a son,
could commit such an atrocious crime, yet
the evidence presented to me and the circum-
stances surrounding the case are SO strong
that l feel warranted in fixing the crime on
John A. Beall."
On the rendering of the verdict Mar
shall Corwin filed an affidavit before
Mayor Marsh, and a warrant was issued
for the arrest of the boy, who was in
Eaton at the residence Of his aunt, Miss
Hannah Gard. He was taken before
the Mayor, examination waived and he
was committed without bail. In his
arrest and Incarceration he exhibited
the same stolid indifference that char
acterized him throughout the inquest
and at the funeral of his mother. He
admitted that when he closed his eyes
to sleep, visions of his murdered mother
in her struggle to raise her head was
before him, and he heard her screams
as when she was shot. When he was
consigned to his cell he expressed a de-
sire that the doors all be kept locked
that no one could get to him, and his
father requested that no one be allowed
to talk to him, and asked the privilege
of sleeping with him at night, but
was refused. Deputy Sheriff John Pc
tiers slept with him the first night, but
since he has been alone. He remarked
to the deputy on Sunday last, that the
days were long and the nights lonesome,
and said he did not like to look out of
his cell window facing the west, because
there were SO many persons standing
around looking up at him. His father,
sister and aunt visit him daily. He
talks readily and cheerfully, and his
composure and nerve under the circum-
stances is surprising, and up TO the pres
emit writing he exhibits no signsof a con-
fession, but on the contrary asserts his
innocence. tits certainly the most sim
gular case of crime on record.
At the discovery of the crime, and up
to the time of the testimony of the
daughter, public opinion was very
strong that the father of the boy was in
some way connected with it. But the
declarations of the daughter before the
Coroner, that herself and father gotin-
to the vehicle together-that her moth
er stood in the door of the house and
waved her hand as they passed out into
the road that leads to the pike, and that
her father did not leave the vehicle un-
til they reached town-has to a consid-
cradle extent changed that opinion and
settled it to the belief that the boy, I'M
aided and alone, in a fit of angry pas
sion over the words himself and mother
had about the hitching of the horse,
committed the horrible deed, and there
it must remain until he confesses or the
case is tried before our court of justice
in November next.
Groups Of men, women and children
continually loiter around the outside OF
the prison to catch a glimpse of the
young matricide, and the Sheriff isdaily
im~portuned by parties for admission to
see him. No persons are admitted to
his presence, however, except the i'm
mediate friends, and they only when &C.
companied by the Sheriff or his deputy,
which rule is right and proper and
should be rigidly enforced.